Traci Braxton died at the age of 50 after a long battle with cancer on Saturday (March 12). The Braxton Family Values star was reportedly surround by her sisters — Toni, Towanda, Trina and Tamar — and mom when she quietly passed. Find out more about the entertainer, below.
1. Traci hailed from Maryland.
Traci was born on April 2, 1971 in Severn, Maryland. Her father was a Methodist pastor and her mom was a former opera singer. Michael, Toni and Towanda were her older siblings, while she helped look after her younger sisters, Trina and Tamar. In 1996, she married Kevin Surratt. They went on to welcome her only child, son Kevin Surratt Jr., on January 10, 1996.
2. She left the music industry just before her sisters signed a deal.
Around the time Traci and her three sisters were about to sign a new record deal in the 90s, Traci became pregnant and chose to focus on motherhood instead of music. The sisters would go on to become hugely successful and famous in the recording industry. When Braxton Family Values debuted in 2011, Traci was introduced as the “Wanna-Be” because she stepped back from a singing career in the past. However, she ended up fulfilling her dream of recording her own albums.
“People always say, ‘Traci is mad about something that happened over 25 years ago,’ and to them I say this: I have a No. 1. single now, which is ‘Last Call,’” she told Shadow and Act in 2020. “I’ve been doing very well for myself. And before my music career took off, I worked with emotionally disturbed adolescents for over 20 years. Traci is pretty smart, Traci has a little education. I was never a wanna-be.”
3. Traci attributed her family drama with having different goals than her sisters.
Fans know the Braxton sisters were often at odds during the run of their reality show. For Traci, it appeared she was on a different path than her siblings, which caused some of the drama.
“I’m the only grandmother of all of my sisters and I have goals and dreams and aspirations that they don’t understand,” she told Shadow and Act. “Emotionally, you’re not there anymore and I’ve phased out of who my family is used to me being…that was my breaking point, especially when my sister’s significant others got involved because my husband doesn’t get involved in my sisters and I business even if he wanted to.”
4. She went on a health journey to lose 64 pounds.
In 2014, the singer decided to focus on her health and change her diet. “When it came down to eating, I basically ate anything I wanted to eat [at anytime]. And I thought, it’s OK, it’s fine, it’s healthy. I didn’t have my mind right. I was upset with myself because I was gaining the weight. I didn’t really feel as sexy as I wanted to feel and I wasn’t giving my family my all,” she told Newsone.
After changing up what she eats and hitting the gym, Traci lost around 64 pounds in two years. She said it was important to take that much time and not rush it with a quick-fix diet. “You never should lose that much weight in one year. When you lose it quickly, you’re bound to fail. Failure is not an option for me. I’m like, ‘No, OK Traci, you need to show the world that you’re not the underdog. That you’re likeable too and that you can do it for yourself,'” she explained.
5. Traci was also an actress.
Traci was the ultimate entertainer, and she lit up the screen with her acting talents. She had roles in Sinners Wanted (2018), All In (2019) and The Christmas Lottery (2020).